Scissors Beats Rock - Redshirt Theory CD

Product Description With one listen to this album you can tell that Redshirt Theory is incluenced by the Killers and by popular dance acts like Daft Punk and Chemical Brothers and even The Prodigy. Redshirt Theory is still able to maintain his own sound which perfectly blends the rock elements of guitars and vocals, with the dance elements of beats, synths and other sound effects. Perfect for a party or something to workout to! Review Scissors Beats Rock is the cleverest album title in a long, long time. And the new offering from Kansas City s Redshirt Theory, aka Aaron Jones with a variety of collaborators, isn t a slouch itself either. In fact, it s really pretty terrific 12 stompers with a widely varied sonic palate and a never-wavering energy level. As the name implies, the record is a mix of glitchy digital edits, breakneck rhythms and an overall rock sensibility. It blends elements of Blur and Jet s bratty pop with the funky dance propulsion of Propellerheads and Daft Punk. The resultant album sounds like Rinocerose (you know, the band that did Cubicle in the annoying iTunes ad) with sharper songwriting and no French accent. The track Find Yourself is a slick piece of Pet Shop Boys dance-floor sheen (with a nod to the synth arpeggios in Limahl s theme song to The NeverEnding Story, for those whose childhood memories are still haunted) that bears little resemblance to the rest of the tracks. It s nice enough, but it s hardly emblematic of the rest of the music to come. But with Lost in Shadows, the album kicks into its real groove. Here, we feel The Felz the Scottish rock band Jones collaborated with through Skype, e-mail and online file transfer, to produce vocals and guitars for four of the album tracks. The vocals on Shadows are laconic and leering, and its guitars jangly and vaguely disco, blending well with the electronically assembled rhythms. The Felz also show up on the more electronic The Traveling Man, with sweeping keyboards and an epic melody that Bono would probably be more than happy to rip off. Inside of You is peppy synth pop with more of those ringing guitars and another great vocal performance. Lose the strings, and it could easily pass for a cut from The Human League s criminally underrated 2001 comeback, Secrets. Girl, Who You With? fuses an Aerosmith guitar and vocal swagger, courtesy of Illinois band Larry Lane, to a crispy drumbox beat. The song slinks by in under three minutes (just like it should), making it a real standout. The duo of Bring It Down and the title track sounds much like vintage God Lives Underwater or a grunged-out KMFDM, with sludgy fuzzbox guitars dueling with nonstop snare rings and screeching synths. The Electromagnetic Groove is the most retro track on the album, featuring a New Order bass lead and breathy Tears for Fears keyboards. Then Joy Ride marries ringing chimes to guitar line from Kansas City guitarist Steffen Davenport to produce a vaguely new-age atmosphere that could pass for vintage BT. Some might call the diversity of sound and mood in Scissors Beats Rock a case of personality disorder, but others will appreciate it as variety. Its production is tight and meticulous, and it displays a mature sense of flow. Jones pushes his collaborators contributions to their fullest, creating a record with a slick (and highly commercial) sheen. --Ink Magazine

Specifics

• Album: Scissors Beats Rock
• Artist: Redshirt Theory
• Label: CD Baby

• We ship across Australia, including major cities like: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Newcastle and the Gold Coast